One Decision That Changed It All
by ALittlePieceOfCherryPie
Summary: What if Jacob decided to leave the Cullen's the night Bella was changed? He never crossed paths with Nessie meaning he never imprinted. That is until years later when he sees her and she's working at a strip club on the night of his bachelor party.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so, I apologise. I _am_ working on my other fic so don't you worry. I haven't forgotten about it. This was just an idea that came to me recently and I had to get down. Enjoy!**

**-Tay**

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><p>"Jake, you are getting married tomorrow." Seth reminded me. Something about the way he said it seemed like he was trying to change my mind.<p>

"Yes, I am." I noted, drying my hair as I walked down the hallway to my room with him on my tail.

It had been 10 years since I'd walked away from the Cullen's house the night _she_ died and gave birth to that…thing. Well, she practically died. I hadn't looked back, I'd just run. Soon, Seth and Leah caught up to me, first to my annoyance, but now I was thankful to have them in my life. It was a reminder of home, but not too big a reminder. We were rather close now.

At first I'd ordered them to go back, I wanted to be on my own. They could re-join Sam's pack. Leah argued at that. She couldn't stand being part of Sam's group. So, with Leah insistent on staying, Seth followed suit despite her efforts to convince him to stay in La Push.

The three of us still phased to stay a pack, and so we hadn't aged either. Though I was going to have to soon. My fiance would notice one day that I still looked in my 20s when she were 40, though I would really be the older one. Hell, I was 27 now and I still had the same face I'd had since I was 16.

"Married." He repeated.

"That's what they call it."

"To Sophie."

"What's your point, man? You trying to change my mind?" I shot at him defensively, though I myself were having doubts. Sophie was not my imprint. I'd been with her for just over a year. We'd met pretty much a week into us moving to New York. She was gorgeous and funny and we had a close friendship which was important to me. She made me feel closest to how I used to feel with _her_.

I'd proposed to Sophie one night when I was having an episode. By episode I mean that _she_ filled my thoughts and then the fact that she was with _him, _living in _his_ life hit me hard and I felt lonely and scared.

So maybe I wasn't in the best state to make a decision like the one I had, but I had and it was too late now. Sophie had been so excited and joyful when I'd asked her. I just couldn't break her like that. I knew what it felt like to be broken. It was weak of me to stay with her for only that reason but I'd accepted the fact I was weak. I was broken.

"No, I just…are you sure you're over Bella?" He asked, the razors scraping at my heart as he mentioned her name.

No, I'm not over her.

"Seth!" I groaned as I slipped my arms through my shirt. "I'm sure. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Another downside to this marriage thing was that Leah and Seth…disliked Sophie. I didn't really know why. She wasn't that bad. I mean, sometimes she could be really clingy but I liked to feel needed and sometimes she did talk a lot…about herself…but I didn't mind listening to her. It was kind of cute the way she babbled on. _She _used to do that…

How pathetic was I? I still couldn't think, hear or say her name all these years later because it still hurt.

Sophie helped with the hole in my chest. Why couldn't the others understand that?

Though, deep down in the back of my mind I sometimes agreed with their arguments but I tended to brush them off.

Tonight, I was getting ready to go out on town with Seth for my 'bachelor party'. Though, it was really just drinks with Seth. I hadn't really made any permanent friends in the year we'd been here. We usually ended up moving so I didn't bother. Sophie just happened to live in our apartment building and we were caught in the elevator once together when it broke down and one thing led to another. I don't know what but something had caused me that night to invite her out to dinner and then after a few dates she ended up in my bed and then next thing we knew we were in a relationship.

Sophie hadn't been in New York long either, so she had a just few girlfriends who were at the hens party tonight with Leah, much to her displeasure, and her family were travelling over tomorrow morning from Boston. I'd met them once and they didn't seem to mind me. As far as Sophie knew both my parents were dead, which was only half true, and Leah was my older sister and Seth my little brother. I guess you could call them that anyway.

You may think I'm cruel for not telling my Dad or sisters or my old friends in La Push about my engagement, but there were a number of reasons I couldn't bring myself to.

First, they'd probably want me to have the wedding down there which was a no, no. I was not going back there for a _long_ time. Second, Leah didn't feel like seeing Sam and the rest of our old pack and, to be honest, neither did I. They felt distant to the three of us now and maybe that was our fault for leaving but as far as I could tell, we felt calmer and closer now than we'd ever been in La Push. They'd kept a lookout on the Cullens for me for a few weeks though gave up, realising I'd given up caring and that there wasn't really much she needed protecting from anymore.

I didn't want Dad to have to move too much either, with the whole wedding thing. I didn't want him driving a long distance in a car. Not after Mom.

My Dad was the only one I'd really kept close contact with, with the exception of keeping the news of my wedding from him, I'd tell him later, like Rebecca did when she married Solomon.

Rachel was still pissed at me for leaving, once again like Rebecca, making Paul pissed at me too, hence another reason me not wanting them at the wedding. There would be awkwardness and tension which I did not want mixing in with the peace and normality of my new life.

Basically the three of us, Seth, Leah and I, wanted to separate our lives completely into old and new. We'd all had our reasons for leaving that place and sticking together was the only way we felt like ourselves without feeling too much like we were there again.

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><p>"So, where to bro?" Seth asked as we walked down a busy street of New York.<p>

"Uh, I dunno. A bar?" I shrugged, not really minding.

"No! It's your bachelor party man! We are not sitting in some pub drinking beers and moping. We gotta party it up!" He explained, more enthused than I was. Something I loved about Seth. He was a lot of fun. Very hyper which, at times, could be annoying but if you were in the mood he could exchange his energy into you and help you enjoy yourself.

I laughed. "Party it up?"

"What about a strip club?" He suggested, making me laugh even harder. Not at what he'd said but the fact he was saying it. I guess Seth was technically 24 now although he still had his babyish features which reminded me of when he was so young and innocent about everything. Though, his baby features usually weren't enough for a bouncer to deny him access to places. If you didn't know him you may think he's 18 because he is rather tall and I guess I only think of him as young because that's what he was to me for so long. And 20 something year olds can look young so he doesn't get called up on his ID being fake _too _often...

Hey, he has proof of his birth year if anyone thinks he's lying.

I sighed, smiling. "Okay man, whatever."

Seth patted my back, taking in the attractive ladies dancing on tables, some shirtless and some in tight, thin underwear barely covering their chest. The bouncer, a muscular, but round and short man had looked iffy about letting Seth in though when he took me in he almost looked scared and opened the door for us right away. The women were nice to look at though there was a thick sense of fake from each and every one of them.

I felt drawn to a certain table but thought nothing of it, choosing it to sit down at.

There was currently a tanned blond dancing and swaying her hips as men held their money up at her and she gladly pinched it up from them, sliding it in between her hip and her underwear.

A waitress brought us drinks after a little while, eyeing Seth suspiciously. Okay, I lied, he gets pulled up on the age thing quite a lot.

"Honey, are you supposed to be here?" She laughed, handing me a drink.

"He just turned 18, come on! He's a man now!" I laughed as she held her hand on her hip, smirking at me, amused.

"I'm only lettin you off because your older brother's handsome." She smiled, winking at me.

I smiled back briefly, taking a swig of my drink.

"What about me?" Seth gave her kissy lips.

Haha, Seth could be such a sleaze when he wanted to be. What happened to the little boy who hadn't had his first kiss yet?

"Cheeky!" She laughed, ruffling his hair. "Want me to bring you some orange juice? I can get into trouble for serving a minor."

Seth glared at me, slightly embarrassed and amused. "But my ID says 24." He smiled up at her sweetly.

She sighed. "Oh, alright. But don't tell on me." She pointed a finger at him as she handed him a drink and I passed her the money.

The blond had stopped dancing and began to get down from the table as the men complained and she simply giggled.

"Don't worry boys. Vanessa is coming, she's a stunner." She promised strutting off.

I sighed. "I think I would enjoy this better if I were single. I love Sophie. She may not be the _one_, but she makes me happy...That's what matters, right?"

Seth shrugged. "She makes you happy but?"

"What?"

"I could hear a but squeezing in there."

"There's no buts. I love her, we're getting married tomorrow." I snapped a little too harshly.

"I know mate, I'm happy for you. She's a...great girl. You're not cheating tonight unless you sleep with one of the hookers. Just enjoy the show. It's not like you're gonna imprint here." He laughed.

I laughed back, taking a swig of my beer.

Something felt like it was coming but I couldn't tell what. Something big. Life changing. Maybe it was the nerves about tomorrow. Marriage did change your life. Though I had a feeling marriage with Sophie would be much the same as when we were together but we'd see each other more. Did I want that? I did like my space. And was it so safe to jump into marriage with someone when I was still pining over my 'dead' love?

The lights dimmed and the voices around us turned to whispers and murmurs. I found it strange how people did that. Something just wasn't acceptable about yelling in the dark.

A female figure gracefully hoped up onto the table, getting a few whistles from the men as her slender silhouette was taken in. She did look beautifully shaped.

A remix of a song I thought sounded slightly familiar began playing and she slid against the pole, preparing herself for her performance. Something about her shadow had captivated me and I couldn't work out what. I was just drawn to her like I'd been drawn to sit at this table.

Something was coming.

The music began.

_A falling star, fell from your heart and landed in my eye. _

_A sweet delight as it tore through them and now it's left me blind._

And then the lights began to flicker on her face.

That's when everything made sense. Life even made a little sense when her face was revealed to me under those bright lights and her big brown eyes met mine. Had they been there the whole time? Her skin glowed and the glowing radiated throughout me.

I could see now how the universe swirled around this one point. I'd never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain.

The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood.

It was the girl dancing on the table that held me here now.

Oh My God. I imprinted. I fucking imprinted. Of all the places...

"Shit." Seth gasped, recognising my face all too well. "Shit, no way...Jake, did you just?..."

"I think I did..." I spoke without fully paying attention to him, focusing on the beauty in front of me.

Her long, tousled, reddish brown hair bounced around her back freely, her skin pale but radiant and her features almost enchanting. She had big, brown almost doe eyes, though they had a sharp guard over them. Her heart shaped face took on a pinkish glowing at the cheekbones and her full lips were rosy underneath her small nose.

As she began to move it was hypnotising, graceful. She didn't deserve to be dancing at a place like this with all these sleaze bags staring at her bum, though it was tight, and her tits, though they were perky. She deserved to be dancing freely on stages and in meadows amongst flowers as beautiful as her.

I watched her for what felt like hours, though it was only minutes, as she danced and smiled, which was a sight, and glanced at me occasionally making my insides tingle to be noticed by her.

When she finished her first performance reality dawned on me though I was still in a daze from her dreamlike presence. I was getting married tomorrow, and I'd just imprinted. On a stripper.

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><p><strong>Well then, tell me what you think? Good? Bad? Ugly? :3<strong>

**Also, I searched around to see if there was a remix of Cosmic Love by Florence & The Machine (if you didn't know the song lyrics used in this, that was it) and I found this one which I thought went well with the scene, yes?**

**.com/watch?v=F7MHOGTJqpg  
><strong>


	2. Boss's Favourite

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for reviewing. It felt really nice to have people like it, haha :)**

**Everything will be explained in time as to why and how Nessie is working at the club.**

**You see, I'd had this idea in my head for a while and decided to write it down in parts and so, lucky for you guys, the next chapter was already sort of there (with the exception of a little editing and adding of things) so, without further AN rambling, here is Chapter 2.**

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><p><strong>Jacob<strong>

"Jesus...wow, this is..." Seth shook his head, speechless.

"I should go talk to her." I said, watching her as she took drinks around to tables, laughing her beautiful smile.

"No." Seth hissed, holding me back, glaring up at me.

"But-" I argued. My sense of logic was rather off right now. The dancer was consuming my thoughts.

"Yes, you imprinted but you have plans to be getting married tomorrow!" He cried. "Sure, Sophie annoys me, but she deserves to be told!"

"How...she wouldn't understand..." I said.

She wouldn't. I hadn't even told her of my past, what I was, or anything like that because I thought the time was coming where I could put it all behind me and be normal.

"She still deserves something before you go off with that girl. The same thing hurt my sister and I am not going to let it hurt someone else. You have to break up with her if you're really gonna pursue this girl." He tried to reason with me.

"That will hurt her..." I said softly. I was getting agitated at Seth but mainly because I knew he was right. I had to man up. Sophie deserved more.

"It will hurt her more if you don't and she finds out. _Married_, Jacob. You two plan to be _married_!" Seth shot reality right at me.

"I just want to find out who she is." I explained. "I'll go ask the bartender, the one who served us earlier."

Seth sighed as I turned around, heading to the bar. There was no one there, everyone seemed to be at the tables getting their drinks served to them as they watched the dancers.

"Excuse me, miss?" I asked, leaning on the bar as she looked up at me, cleaning out a glass.

"Hey you!" She smiled. "Call me Roxie. Can I get you a drink, handsome?"

Ha, typical. There was always a Roxie or a Candy at places like this.

Roxie appeared to be a little older than most of the girls here, but not that old, maybe 28. She had dyed mahogany hair and her face was caked with makeup. Her green eyes had a twinkle in them but it looked like an act.

"No thanks." I smiled. "I was..wondering if you could tell me about that girl over there? I think her name's Vanessa?" I looked over at her and I could've sworn she glanced over at us but only for a split second.

"Vanessa, she's a sweetie. Who's askin? You're not a cop are you? Cause she's 21, I swear. She's been working here since I got here and that was 3 years ago, she was 18, so nothing suss." Roxie explained to me in a hurried tone.

I laughed. "I'm not a cop, Roxie, relax. You really think I'd bring my little bro here and let him have a drink at 18 if I were?"

"You'd be surprised. Some of the cops here are dodgy." She raised her eyebrows. "What do you want to know about her, hun? She does private rooms if you're wondering. I can hook you up?"

"No, it's okay. I just...she interests me..." I murmured.

"Mmm, she tends to have that essence about her. She's the boss's favourite." Roxie explained, placing some glasses underneath the bar. The way she said it hinted at a little jealousy but apart from that she didn't seem to mind Vanessa.

"Why's that?" I asked, curious.

She shrugged, standing up again with a cocktail glass in her hand. "I've heard she's the most 'like him', whatever that means. She's been with him the longest, I think. I mean, she was here when I got here, like I said, and that was a while ago."

"Hmm." I simply said, looking at Vanessa again.

"Wow..." Roxie whispered after a moment.

"What?" I asked, turning back to her.

"I dunno, just...the way you look at her. You don't look like a sleaze, honey. What are you doin in a place like this?" She asked, reaching under the bar for some bottles.

"Uh, my brothers choice." I explained.

"He's a cutie." She laughed.

After another moment Roxie spoke again.

"I'll tell you, though. That girl, she just don't belong here. She has something in her that deserves to be loved better than she gets now. The girl deserves romance." Roxie sighed, pouring a mix of some liquor in the glass.

"Everyone does, Roxie." I told her. I'd discovered that tonight. Imprinting had opened up my eyes to a whole new outlook on life.

She laughed. "You're a sweetheart. But, believe me, my time has passed. Vanessa though, her time is far from over."

I looked back at Roxie and she appeared to feel as if she'd said too much to me, a stranger, but she seemed to brush it off.

"Here, take this..." She opened a vile of red, bloody looking substance and poured a few drops into the drink she was making, which appeared a reddy color anyway, closing it and placing it under the bar. "...to her. It's her favourite." She smiled, handing me the glass which had a sugar rim around the glass.

I began to take out my wallet but Roxie held her hand out. "On the house, hun."

"What was that red stuff you put in it?" I asked, curious as I took the drink from her.

She shrugged. "She told me it was some thing they put in the drinks at Chile, that's where the boss is from, I tasted it once. It tasted kinda salty and metallic but, I dunno, she and the boss like it in their drinks."

Looked like blood, tasted like blood...

"Oh, okay." I smiled. "Well, thank you for the talk and everything."  
>"No problem, sugar." She winked, smiling at me again. Her smile looked a little more genuine than before.<p>

"Call me Jacob." I smiled back.

I turned around, nervous now, as I was going to meet _her._ The _one_, who I hadn't even believed existed just a few hours ago. I was breaking Seth's instructions by going to talk to her before telling Sophie but what was the worst that could happen? I just needed to talk to her. I didn't want to let her slip away, I couldn't.

I noticed her heading this way anyway with her empty tray and stopped her. She looked up at me with her sparkling eyes, looking slightly pissed.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Hey, I...brought you this. Roxie said you liked this one." I stuttered awkwardly. I hadn't been awkward Jacob in a long time. What was happening to me?

She looked at the drink and then back up at me. "You better not have roofied it." She smiled slightly, taking the drink from my hands.

"Oh, no. I-" I began.

"Thank you." She smiled again, looking slightly amused as she sipped her drink, beginning to walk away.

"Wait, I..." I called as she turned around. God, she was beautiful. What did I actually want to say anyway? I think I just wanted to be close to her.

"What? I have to work, you know. Thanks for the drink, it's sweet. But I don't date." She explained.  
>"Ness, honey." Roxie came over to us, holding Vanessa around the shoulder. "This handsome young man is Jacob."<p>

She looked at Roxie, confused. "Hi...Jacob?" Vanessa stuttered, but not awkwardly like I had.

Roxie leaned over to whisper in her ear, though I could hear everything but pretended not to.

"I think he really likes you. Why don't you give him a private dance?" Roxie whispered. It was as if she was trying to set us up. If Vanessa offered what Roxie had suggested, I had to decline which would be hard. But Seth was right, I had to tell Sophie first.

I didn't mind Roxie, she sounded like a hopeless romantic and despite her doubts, I was sure her prince charming would come one day. I had this feeling.

"Rox, I..." Vanessa whispered back, glancing at me.

"Come on, he's such a sweetheart and my, is he attractive." Roxie replied.

I smirked slightly, hopefully not noticeably.

"Hmmm." Vanessa bit her lip, eyeing me, making me feel slightly insecure. What if I wasn't good enough for her? She was like a Godess and I was just Jacob.

She sighed, handing her tray to Roxie, smiling.

Vanessa grabbed my hand, holding her drink with the other. "Come on, hot stuff." She smiled at me with a look that made my knees melt. I couldn't even process where we were headed until we were halfway there.

"I..." I choked out.

"Don't be nervous. I don't bite." She smirked, looking back at me as we reached a door in a hallway of several other doors.

As she unlocked the door and dragged me in behind her, I realised the mistake I was making but I couldn't stop myself. This was such a sweet form of darkness. It was as if I were entering hell but it was okay because it was with her.

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><p><strong>Leah<strong>

"Oh my God, what a bitch move of her!" Emma gasped. "You totally made the right decision."

"Yeah, I was kinda like, you know, do I invite someone like that if they're gonna treat me that way?" Sophie replied, glancing at me.

"Uh huh." I nodded, trying to look interested. I really wasn't. This trivial girly, bitch-talk would've interested me maybe a few years ago, but that was the old Leah. I was kind of one of the guys now after being with Jacob and Seth for so long but I didn't mind that.

"And so I said-" Sophie began but my ringtone cut her off.

Thank fuck. I'd been listening to Sophie babble on all night with her friends about who she'd invited to the wedding and how hot Jacob was and all the gross little things she wanted to do to him on their honeymoon. As if she hadn't done them already.

"Sorry, it's Seth." I faked a look of shame that I couldn't hear the rest of her story.

"That's okay!" She chirped. "Ask him how Jakey-poo is doing!"

Ugh. Jakey-poo. I shuddered inside.

"Sure." I smiled forcibly, standing up and skulking what was left of my wine before answering the phone and walking out of the room.

"You really owe me for this. I would rather be in a club with girls degradingly dancing about in their underwear with Jacob than be here for another hour!" I whispered, looking back to see if anyone could hear. Nup, they were back to listening to Sophie's bitching. Pretty sure there was going to be a male stripper later, not that I minded, but I'd seen so many shirtless guys in my time that I only really found it hot on guys I was with, when their naked chest was against mine.

"Leah, really not the time for a bitch. We have a situation!" Seth hissed as club music and people talking blared in the background.

"What is it?"

"Jacob imprinted."

"WHAT?" I gasped loudly, covering my mouth and walking further into the kitchen.

We always knew Jake was never going to fully recover from Bella unless he imprinted and that he probably shouldn't have settled down incase he did. And now he'd done it.

"It gets worse. She's a stripper."

"Wha…" I breathed, no words coming to me to describe my emotions towards this situation. "Jacob imprinted?" I breathed out, still in shock.

"Yep."

"Jacob imprinted on a stripper." I repeated to try and snap myself into the reality of it.

"Yes, Leah. He did. What do we do?" Seth cried, sounding stressed. I was the older sibling, I had to calm his nerves and help him out even if I, myself, felt helpless.

"I…uh…there's nothing we can do…" I sighed. It was the truth. Once someone imprinted there was no going back. They only had eyes for that girl and it could not be helped. That was the truth and it had fucking hurt me in the past, but I was over it now. Though how would Sophie react right now to this? She didn't even know Jacob was a shapeshifter. I told him to tell her, to warn her, I fucking told him. When I'd found out of Sam's imprinting I'd slapped him, thought he was lying, broken a plate, and maybe a vase, I couldn't remember. I refused to speak to either him or Emily for a week in which I'd cried and screamed, even contemplated suicide, and when I eventually did speak to them I was always curt about it. Then Sam got into my thoughts when I joined the pack making my recovery worse as I heard everything he thought about Emily and he heard everything I thought about him and my cousin's relationship. My break from Sam's pack had been the best thing that had ever happened to me and I wasn't going back now I had this peace with Jacob and my brother. They were the most annoying things at times but I loved them to death.

This situation was bringing back memories to my terrible past and I didn't like it. Sophie and I had just been thrown into a situation we could relate to each other on. In what fucked up world?…

I leant my head against the closet, exhaling through my nose. "Where is he now?"

"Uh…he was talking to some bartender about the girl and now…Shit, I have no idea." Seth gasped.

"You left him? SETH!" I hissed. "He is NOT cheating before he tells Sophie. You go and get him and tell him to drag his imprinting ass back here and explain _everything _to her."

"You know she won't understand! It's why he hasn't told her anything. We have to figure out a way to get her to break up with him before tomorrow." He groaned.

"How the fuck do we get someone like her to break up with who she considers the love of her life?"

**So, you like so far? I know this chapter is kind of short but I'm kind of busy lately and I didn't want to leave you guys with nothing so this is just a little something until maybe the end of this week? Nessie's POV will come into it soon too, explaining a lot more of why she ended up working in the club.**

**-Tay**


	3. Make You Hate Me

**Hey guys! Gahhh! I'm so, so, so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've just been busy and kinda stuck as this chapter was a hurdle, literally (you'll get that later :P). But, anyway, enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Nessie<strong>

The burning was fading. The heartbeat slowing. The breathing struggled. The glass emptying and then..empty.

When I finished my drink the empty glass sat still, his eyes half closed, no longer producing a drumming sound from his chest or a choking from his mouth. My glass was gone. Dead.

I sighed a breath of fresh air, regaining my senses. The thirst had been blinding them a little. Everything was clearer, louder and fresher again.

My drink had not been with anyone tonight, and who told people you were at a place like this when you were his age? No one would know, I always made sure of that.

The sleaze had been more than happy to follow me in here, when I was half his age, and on top of that he was married. He probably had a daughter close to the age I looked, sick bastard. His grimy hands and his sickly grin had made it easier than some.

Jacob, however, had not worn that sickly grin, and his touch was gentle and soft and he was young and attractive. Jacob had not come here alone, so I didn't plan to use him as my glass anyway. I shouldn't have invited him in here. I could have easily told Roxy no. But I didn't want to say no. I wanted to be close to him, he interested me more than most people. The way he looked at me had made me kind of excited, the way something had sparkled in his brown eyes.

"You're warm." I'd sighed as I sat on his lap. It was true, he was warm. Warmer than most people, like me. But I wasn't human.

Our bodies had...fit quite well. It had been nice. God, I'd wanted to fuck him and if I could have had my own way with him in that very moment I would have thrown him down and ravished him. But I had to make the client happy. My job was to make other people happy. My whole life was...

And I usually only drank in this room too, like I had just now.

Every time I'd invited someone in here to do something other than that _he_ had punished me. He didn't like others touching me if it wasn't for seduction leading up to a feed. So he would punish me tonight for Jacob, he saw everything. I'd tried to make up for it with this guy but it took a lot more than that for _him _to 'forgive'.

"So are you..." Jacob had smiled, timidly placing his hands on my thighs. I had found it funny that he was so awkward with me. He'd acted like a virgin but I knew he wasn't. Someone who looked like him couldn't be. He didn't look intimidated by anyone else but me either. I guess that was maybe the vampire in me, always scaring and intriguing people.

"So what can I do you for, big boy?" I'd purred, placing my hands in between his thighs. He was big, not just in means of bodily proportions. I could feel the proof pressing against me through his jeans, making me bite my lip.

I wished he would've just let loose and said "You can do _me_, right here, right now." and fucked me on that couch. I could tell he was the type of person who'd do something like that when he was really horny and comfortable with the person. But he didn't know me. I didn't know him. We were strangers. I grinded against strangers every day, and some of them could be very attractive, so why had I wanted him so much? I mean, he was attractive, but...what was it about him?

He'd stuttered and composed himself before managing. "I...j-just want to talk to you?" He'd almost asked, distracted as I'd kissed at his neck.

Another thing I'd noticed was that he didn't smell like food. He'd smelt nice, but like a perfume or fresh air. Not like food.

I'd stopped at his comment, sitting up and facing him. "Why?" I'd asked, confused. And I truly did want to know _why?_ I was a _stripper_. People came here to touch and look at my body, let me turn them on. Not to have a fucking conversation with me.

I'd really hoped Jacob was not trying to save me from this, because he wouldn't know what he'd be getting himself in to. What he'd be saving me from was bigger than he probably thought. I didn't need saving anyway...

_That's what you tell yourself._

"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" He'd asked, gaining the courage to place a strand of hair behind my ear. His small gesture had made me want to smile. Or cry, I couldn't tell which one. No one had been sweet to me like that apart from in roleplay where they end up fucking me in their own sick scenarios where I'm usually a 'little girl'. Jacob's, however, was not fucked up. It had no sex waiting afterwards or sick story lines to follow. It was just like in the movies where a guy brushes a girls hair back to see her face because he thinks it's beautiful. I think Jacob had been one of the sweetest guys to ever walk through here.

I'd composed myself and put my poker face back on. "A girl like me?" I'd asked, laughing. "Well, I could ask the same thing about you. What's a guy like _you _doing in a place like this?"

He'd looked down. "I'm getting married tomorrow..." He'd murmured.

I'd been taken aback by that information, but I still didn't see him as a sleaze. A lot of guys came here on their bachelor night. Though, like I'd said, Jacob didn't seem like the type...I think it was his little brothers idea.

"Hmm, well you have two options. You can either a) stay here with me for a little while, we don't have to fuck, just a little lap dance or something or b) get home, get some sleep and get ready to marry the girl of your dreams tomorrow." I'd told him, smiling at his little smile. It was adorable. "Though, you don't seem like the type to cheat." I'd added.

"I'm not..." He'd said softly, looking up at me. "But you're really close to making me the type."

That sentence there had shown me a little sneak peek at horny Jacob, making me quite wet. "She's not the girl of my dreams either..." He'd murmured quietly.

I didn't know why he'd shared that information with me. It seemed too private to share with someone he didn't know, but he had.

"Well, Jacob-not-the-cheating-type, why are you marrying her?" I'd asked. Was I asking too much? Maybe.

He'd shook his head, closing his eyes, a crease appearing at his forehead. "Sorry, it doesn't matter. I should go."

Yes, I did ask too much.

I'd nodded. "Of course..." I'd hesitantly hoped off his lap.

"Vanessa?" He'd asked, still seated. "You didn't answer my question, why are you here?"

"It doesn't matter." I'd shot back quite harsher than he had. I'd wanted to get off the topic.

"But-"

"Here, take your money." I'd hurried, retrieving the notes he'd given me, when we entered the room, from my bra.

"I didn't mean to intrude, sorry..." He'd apologized.

_It's okay. I just can't tell you. _I'd wanted to say. But I was angry, at myself mainly, and I'd needed to get him to hate me so he'd never come back to the horrible girl he'd see displayed in me right then. Someone like Jacob shouldn't ever have to cross paths with _him._

"Yeah, well, you did. It's kinda creepy. Please, just, leave." I'd snapped, not looking him in the eye. Because as much as I should find his interest creepy, I didn't. Because I was equally as interested, I was just better at hiding it.

I'd seen him looking back at me one last time out of the corner of my eye. "Fuck off!" I'd hissed. It was harsh and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him, but I had to so he wouldn't come back.

He didn't know me. I didn't know him. That's how it should stay.

The dead glass fell as I sat off him, just like my heart dropping at how _he_ was coming to punish me tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Seth<strong>

I ran a hand through my hair, scanning the club one last time for Jacob. This time, I actually saw him.

"Dude! Where the fuck did you go?" I cried, charging at him. I was so pissed off right now.

"With her..." He sighed, his face goofy like he was off with the fucking fairies.

"What?" I gasped. He didn't. Not before telling Sophie. "Dude, that is so low!"

"No! I didn't...we didn't...nothing happened! It nearly did but then I said I just wanted to talk to her and she kicked me out." He explained.

"Oh." I said. I found his story amusing and suddenly found myself bursting into a fit of laughter. "You followed a hooker into a room and wanted a chat? Did you bring tea and biscuits instead of condoms?"

"Dude, not funny!" He groaned, pushing me back gently as I continued to laugh and tease at him while we left the club.

We now had to figure out a way to tell Sophie before tomorrow. Maybe we should crash the bachelorette party, and Jacob could pull Sophie aside and tell her something to get her to leave him without hurting her. Well, anything would hurt her, but better that then getting married to him and finding out along the track.

"Dude, you should just tell her the truth." I suggested, shrugging. It was the perfect option. Someone like her would never believe him and she'd get so upset at his ridiculous remarks that she'd leave for someone more 'sane'.

"She'd never believe me." He sighed.

"Exactly."

We stopped out the front of Sophie's, Jacob groaning and holding his face in his hands. We heard laughter and music from her door. "In front of all her friends?" He looked as nervous as a little boy on his first day of school.

"No, pull her aside." I said.

"Yeah, but then? She's gonna have to go back and tell them. And the wedding is planned! She has her dream dress and her dream cake and it's not the most expensive shit but it's all planned and I..." He spoke fast. It was like when Bella used to ramble and stutter about random crap. They'd gotten it from each other.

"Shh! Just...breathe, bro." I tried to calm him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

His eyes widened at me and he looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what. "I have no other choice! I can't marry her and be in love with someone else. It's wrong!"

"But are you in love with this girl? You imprinted, but do you _love_ her?" I asked.

"I...I know I will fall for her. There's no doubt. Even being with her for just five minutes..." He blew out a breath of air, shaking his head. "Yeah, the imprinting has something to do with it but..there's just something about her that would be hard to miss without the imprinting..."

Shit, he was in deep. "Okay, then you have to do this." I sighed. "Good luck, bro." I patted his back, walking back to the car.

"You're not coming with me!" He panicked.

I laughed at his nervous state. "You're a big boy, Jake. Off you go!" I shooed him in a patronising manner. He was so easy to pick on.

I whipped out my phone as I leant against the car.

_Here._

I texted Leah and within a minute she was walking out with Sophie next to her.

"Jakey!" She squealed. "You're not supposed to be here! It's bad luck!" Gah, that voice. It made me feel like I was watching the Disney Channel.

She ran up and jumped into his arms. Shit, he would be freaking out already.

Leah walked past them and approached me. "What happened to him at the club?" She asked, looking behind her as Jake took Sophie up onto the porch.

"He went into a room with her." I said, which made Leah's eyes instantly bulge. "But!" I held my hands up. "They just talked." I explained, laughing again afterwards.

Leah, despite looking pissed, laughed a little too. "They _talked_ in a private room?"

I shrugged. "I think they discussed the weather."

She punched my arm playfully, sighing as she leaned back against the car with me. We both listened in on Jacob and Sophie from then on.

"Sophie...I'm not exactly who I say I am." Jacob stuttered, gulping afterwards.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently. God, I kinda felt sorry for her. She had no idea.

"I have descent from a tribe called the Quileutes, back home in La Push..." He gulped again.  
>"God, he's not going to make it." I whispered, but Leah shushed me, looking to the ground again. As if he didn't know we were listening in.<p>

"And there's these stories that we...my family, descend from men who...shift into animals. In my ancestors case...they shifted into wolves. Giant wolves..."

"Like werewolves?" She laughed.

"Um, kinda." He laughed nervously.

"Jacob, this story is interesting and all but I don't get how it has anything to do with...couldn't it have waited until another time?" She asked.

"No, I...haven't finished." He sighed shakily.

There was a silence.

"Those stories...they turned out to be kind of...truthful." He murmured.

"Jacob." She laughed. "How much have you been drinking?"

"No, I'm being serious!" He said louder.

"You're not seriously telling me you're a werewolf!" She laughed, very amused.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you!" He cried.

She shook her head, burying her face in her hands as she laughed. "Honey, this is cute. But I have to get back."

Leah and I both watched now as she turned to go. Suddenly Jacob grabbed her arm, pulling her back roughly, making her, and Leah, gasp.

"I'm telling the truth!" He almost yelled, desperate to get her to believe him, or think he was insane. I was betting more on the insane part.

It was so unlike Jacob to be physical with a girl. I hoped he wasn't hurting her.

"Jacob, let me go. You're hurting me." She said sternly. I'd never heard Sophie use that tone before.

"Jacob, let her go or I will kick your ass!" Leah hissed, loud enough for Jacob to hear.

Jacob hesitantly dropped his arm from Sophie's. "Sorry..." He murmured.

"Look, you've obviously been drinking. Just, go home and get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning. Kay, hun!" She kissed him on the cheek.

"I imprinted!" He blurted out as she stood back from standing on her tiptoes.

"This'll do it." I whispered to Leah.

"God, Jacob! What the fuck are you on about? I don't have time for this!" She groaned.

"I imprinted on another woman." He said and she looked taken aback.

Sophie gulped this time. "What exactly does _imprinting_ imply?" She crossed her arms.

"It means I looked at her and I...knew she was the one." He explained.

Sophie was silent for a minute before she turned to look at Leah and I.

"Seth! Did you spike his drink or something because please explain to me why my fiance sounds like he's on acid!" She screamed, charging at me.

"Oh, no." I gasped, running around the other side of the car as I held my hands out. I was a werewolf but women scared me when they were angry. Sophie looked fucking fierce as she ran at me with her blue eyes blazing and her dark waves bouncing around her furious face.

"I didn't, Sophie! I swear on my fucking life!" I begged.

"Why do you look so scared then? Huh? You little punk!" She yelled as she ran around the car. Leah's head dropped into her hand as she laughed at my fear.

"What's so funny?" She cried at Leah and Leah's smile faded.

"Oh, no...I just...Seth..." She trailed off, clearing her throat. "Sorry."

"Is this some kind of sick joke between the three of you? Because it's not funny!" Sophie cried, her lip trembling and her blue eyes glinting with the tears of her fury and pain.

"Sophie..." Jacob sighed as he walked closer to her cautiously.

"Please tell me you didn't cheat..." She whimpered, a tear falling from her eye.

Maybe he should say yes, it'd get her to break up with him. She'd be furious that he 'made up some story to break the news to her'. Or should he stick with the 'crazy story

and anger her further.

"I...imprinted." He choked.

Okay, he went with crazy.

Sophie broke into a sob. "Is that your way of telling me?" She cried in disbelief. "Because I'm not a fucking child, Jacob. I don't need stories to cover the pain. I can handle the reality of things."

The other women at the party had gathered in the doorway curiously.

"You two were in on this? You knew?" She hissed at Leah, glaring between the two of us.

"I..." Leah choked.

"Soph, leave them out of this. They didn't do this to you, I did." Jacob said.

She looked down at the ring, sniffling before she tugged it from her finger. "Thanks for making me feel loved. It was nice while it lasted." She whispered, choking at the end.

"I do love you, Sophie." He whispered. It was true, he did. She just wasn't the one.

Leah and I had looked away by now, they deserved this moment alone.

"No, keep it. I didn't buy it just because it was an engagement ring. I bought it for you." He sounded on the verge of tears now. I guessed she was handing him the ring.

"It will hurt every time I look at it." She sobbed.

"Keep it away until you come across someone who deserves you and let him put it on you." Jacob said quietly.

This was so upsetting. Sophie didn't deserve this pain, but it had to be done.

"You know...the you I thought I knew deserved me. But tonight I saw who you really are and I don't want anything to do with him." She whimpered.

"I know." He breathed.

"Keep it." She hissed.

And then there was silence as Sophie walked away, sobbing when she thought she was out of hearing distance of us. Her friends gathered around her, whispering and comforting her.

"Asshole!" One yelled out to Jacob as we got into the car.

As we drove off, it was silent. Jacob looked down at the ring in his hand and Leah stared out the window.

"If the situation were different, Sophie and I could totally bitch about our relationship experiences right now." Leah murmured.

Jacob sniffed and we both looked to him. "That was so...bittersweet. It sucked hurting her like that, you know. But I think I made her hate me more than blame herself for anything. And it sucks that she hates me, but good at the same time. Now I'm not going to marry her and hurt her later. Now, I can love that dancer and not feel bad." He pondered, almost to himself, but Leah and I listened in too.

Now the tough part was over for Jacob, he was free to pursue his imprintee. But something in my gut told me that wasn't entirely true. He may have jumped his hurdle, but what was _she _tied down by?

* * *

><p><strong>I know this chapter still doesn't explain why Nessie is working in the profession she is, but that will all be explained in due time. Patience, my lovelies! And who <em>he<em> is will be revealed in later chapters, too. (Did you notice Nessie's mentioning of 'him'?)**

**So, yeah, sorry for the late update but I will try to get faster. I can't promise anything. Hope you liked this chapter, though. :)**


	4. Who Does He Think He Is?

**Oh my goodness! I am so incredibly sorry this took so long to update. I wasn't spending the whole time on it, you see. I started this chapter straight after I updated the last, and then I kind of...lost motivation, and then life became so busy, but now it is slowing down again and I found time and motivation to complete this chapter. Please don't give up on me! Haha, I'll be away for the next 2 weeks but I will try my best to update after that, or even before I leave. I won't keep you waiting any longer, here it is!**

* * *

><p><strong>Ness<strong>

My own blood stared back at me. Dark, like it was glaring at me. Angry at me, at who I'd become. And then it became me again as I dabbed my finger lightly into it, rubbing it over the wound on my neck.

I cringed at the stinging sensation brought on by whatever was in my blood fighting off the sore venom coating of his mark. The wound sealed over and went from a pale welt, smoothing down to normal again. I sighed shakily as the source of my blood for healing fleshed over itself, wiping my arm off with a towel.

He hadn't punished me as badly as I'd thought he would tonight. He'd fucked me a little too roughly and bitten me, but if he could read my thoughts I'm sure he would have done a lot worse. I couldn't stop thinking of Jacob, lucky I'd learnt to control my gift. Things used to slip from my mind out through my fingers by mistake all the time, but not anymore.

Though I could stop others from hearing my thoughts, I couldn't stop them from ringing in my own head. No one could block that out, no one could save me from myself.

"Why do you never like to leave my mark." He purred from behind me. I flinched at the startle of it, but my eyes remained downcast.

"Not anywhere visible." I murmured as he crouched down beside me.

I was a monster, but basically a baby one so other monsters scared me. Especially the one in control of my past, present and future. I couldn't really remember life before I'd been thrown into his hands in a hasty decision. I remembered it, of course, but not the feeling it gave me. I wasn't a little girl anymore. I was dark, evil and broken. Dangerous. But he'd been dangerous a lot longer then me, and I could feel all that darkness when it was inflicted onto me.

I'd adjust, I'd only been at this 10 years. I'm sure the feeling would shut off soon and killing would be easy, and I could enjoy it when he inflicted pain. We were supposed to shut it off, my family had just done things differently. _My old family._

I had to learn to accept there was no need to fight it, we were meant to be monsters, soulless. So as soon as the scared, little girl inside of me realised that, I'd probably be more dangerous than Nahuel.

Yes, his name is Nahuel. He saved me from a clan called the Volturi when I was young. My mother had been fleeing with me when she ran into my aunt, Alice, Nahuel and his aunt, Huilen. My mother was worrying over my father and felt she had to go back to protect everyone with her gift. My Uncle Jasper was already with my father, so Alice had to go back too. Alice had thought my mother could trust me with Nahuel and Huilen, and back then she probably could. But something dark snapped inside of him when his aunt was caught and killed one night when we were hiding closeby to hear news from my family, which we never did. She'd kept his morals in tact, kept him from running free and letting his vampire side take over. They'd killed humans, but only when necessary. Other than that, they were kind and good. Then when she died, well I guess he let his vampire side take over once and for all. He didn't want to feel the pain. He blamed himself for both his mother and his aunt's death, and I blamed myself for her death too, and the attack on my family which I never knew the consequences of. We were close, at first, Nahuel and I. I kept him company and we understood each others pain, but day by day I saw him getting darker. It was gradual, the transformation into who he is today, but he was so hateful and wicked sometimes that I couldn't remember a time when I could look at him and not feel scared. I didn't know how he felt about me. Sometimes it was like he blamed me for what happened to Huilen, which I could understand. But then other times it's as if he never wants to lose me, and he gets possessive which makes me fear him more than the blame he inflicts on me.

Maybe it was New York. Mad with the freedom and advantages of immortality and eternal life, Nahuel decided to open a club, just because. It provided him with girls, a feed and money. It also provided me with a feed and protection. No one from the Volturi would ever look for us at a strip club in New York. Though, sometimes I kind of wish for some contact with the Volturi. I want to know what happened to my family that night.

Working is kind of my way of hunting. I lure my prey in with my dancing out in the club and then if they want me in the private rooms and they look free to take, then, you can guess what happens next. I still hated it, the killing. But, like I said, maybe I'll learn to shut everything off like Nahuel has done one of these days. But part of me doesn't want to shut it off, part of me wants the old Nahuel back.

Maybe when we left, in a few more years and started a new agenda, I'd see the old him. The sad, but kind sparkle in his teal eyes. I could only hope.

"I understand, baby." He lifted my chin with his finger and my eyes made contact with his teals that still made me shudder. So dark, so hollow inside, no love.

He leaned in and kissed me softly on the mouth, which then turned into him throwing me down and kissing me hard, not letting me come up for air yet.

Though I couldn't block off everything, I could block off the emotions behind sex if I wanted to. I could see it as a purely physically pleasurable thing and that way I enjoyed it, no heart in the game, no pain.

He broke our kiss, leaving me breathing quickly as he kissed down my neck, grazing his teeth but not biting. His hands roamed up my stomach, sliding over my breasts.

"So, why not leave it somewhere non visible." He purred, suddenly tearing my bra off.

I gasped as he bit down on the side of my breast, his venom shooting through the wound, stinging. Tears stung at my eyes and I bit my lip to control my whimpering, even though he loved the sound of pain. Venom didn't do anything to me since I was already half vampire, but it could still make a mark on my skin which I didn't know would be permanent or not and it still hurt like a bitch.

I gasped a breath of relief as he let go of my skin, my fingers still curled from the pain.

"Beautiful." He sighed, touching it a little too hard making me whimper again. He leant up and kissed me on my forehead. "Beautiful." He whispered again, stroking my cheek as he looked down at me with something I couldn't decipher. He always did that look, but I just didn't understand it.

"It didn't mean anything, you know...that Indian boy." I murmured as he stroked his thumb across my cheek. "He was just a customer."

I was lying so badly right now. Jacob had been so...different.

Nahuel eye's shadowed over and I instantly regretted my words. "That's not how you treat a customer. You know what you do to customers."

"I kicked him out. He was scaring me..." I lied.

"If he was scaring you why didn't you just kill the son of a bitch?" He growled.

"He was with someone." I explained.

"If he was with someone, why did you invite him in?" He hissed.

His hand ran down my neck, his fingers sliding over it. "I'm not allowed to have fun every once in a while?" I said more sternly.

His fingers pressed down on my neck, choking me slightly. "Not yet." He hissed again.

"Why? You don't trust me?" I choked, trying to remain stronger than I felt.

His grip loosened on my neck after a moment and he stroked my hair from my face. "You still need to...adjust." He whispered.

"No more punishment for you tonight, sweetheart. Come up to bed when you are ready." He said softly, kissing me gently. But it still had no love in it. I still felt like one of his things. He favoured me, but more like a favourite toy than a person. I suppose I did have no soul.

As he left me in that room, weak and vulnerable, like he had so many other times, I had something to hold on to this time. I thought it stupid, but I found myself hoping to see Jacobs face again. Something about him made me not want to shut everything off and I liked that. It hurt but it was good pain.

**Jake**

"So she's like 'Sethy, I don't think we should' and I'm totally cool, like, flashing her my sweet smile and all, 'Baby, I understand' and then she just fucking ravishes me. I tell you, you don't push 'em and they want your dick right then and there! Worked on Amber last week too...and Beth." Seth said, stabbing his fork into his meal.

"I don't know who these girls are." I shook my head, taking a bite of my burger.

"They're seniors." He raised his eyebrows.

"Seth!" I groaned.

"What? I still look 17!"

"You're 25."

"I am young at heart."

"No, you're just immature in the head."

"Whatever. I'm mature in the bed-department. Bet I've scored more than you."

I laughed. "You're such a manwhore, bro." I gave him kissy lips. "What happened to my sweet little Seth-cakes?"

He laughed, flipping me the bird.

"I dunno." He shrugged, chewing his food. "I mean, you should know by now after you had to hurt Sophie like that last week..."

Sophie still hadn't spoken to me. Well, of course not, it had only been a week since I'd broken up with her on our wedding night, what did I expect? But, I'd heard around that she still hated me. Which was good, in a way. I'd rather her hate me than hate herself. She'd done nothing wrong.

"I just don't see the point of being...tied down, if you're like us..." Seth murmured.

I sure felt tied down to this earth because of one particular girl now, and I loved it. As if my thoughts had reached the heavens, someone sent me an angel in that parlour right then. Vanenssa walked in, her reddish waves rolling down her shoulders and glinting in the sun. Wow. It was like it was in the movies...

"Until you actually are_ tied down_." Seth finished, looking back from the door to me.

I cleared my throat, looking at Seth. "I get that." I nodded, trying way too hard to look like I wasn't trying not to stare at her as she sat down in the booth opposite the way I was facing. I bit into my burger again, pretending to have an unusual interest in looking at it.

Seth laughed. "No, dude, the only thing you get right now is the way her tits sit perfectly in that tight, little blue dress."

I glared at him and he held up his hands defensively. "I only speak the truth!"

"There's more to her than her body." I murmured quietly, and as I spoke her eyes flickered up to meet mine.

I looked down awkwardly.

Shit, she didn't hear that...right? No, she couldn't have. She was too far away.

A waitress came over to serve her and I listened in on Vanessa's sweet voice as she spook. "Hmmmm." She sighed. "May I please have a chocolate ice cream soda." She smiled at the woman. God, her smile alone was probably enough to cure cancer.

"Sure, hun." The woman smiled back.

"Thank you!" Vanessa chirped sweetly, her eyes crossing paths with mine.

I looked away again and I swore I heard a subtle laugh from her as she held her hand near her mouth.

I looked up, smiling and she looked away this time.

"I'm texting Leah. Maybe she can save me from you two eye fucking." Seth muttered.

"We're not!" I shot defensively causing Seth to snort.

"Dude, you are. It's making me uncomfortable, I'm in your line of sight." He said, moving around purposefully in front of me, blocking my vision to Vanessa briefly. "Eye rape!" He yelled causing me to lean across the table and smack him on the head.

"Ow! Child abuse!" He gasped, holding his head.  
>"Shut up." I laughed.<p>

I glanced at her again and she glanced at me. This time, we didn't look away like awkward schoolchildren but, rather, held each other's eye for a moment.

Something in her eyes held me captivated. It wasn't just the fact I was drawn to her from the imprinting, I was actually drawn to _her. _I think even if I hadn't imprinted, I still would have noticed her. I still would have had a hard time staying away from her and falling for her.

I could tell from the other night when she'd kicked me out of that room, she was scared of something. And I wanted to find out what that was and try to fix it, or protect her from it. She had a smile in her eyes, but it was fading slowly, you could see. I wanted to keep it there and help it grow stronger. It was so beautiful, but it was slowly becoming clouded with fear and emptiness. Something as beautiful as that deserves to shine.

The waitress brought over her drink and I cleared my throat, looking away again.

"Damn, Leah is with her boss. I bet they are totally fucking." Seth nodded, putting his phone away.

"Just because you're obsessed with sex." I rolled my eyes, picking up a fry.

I glanced at Vanessa again and she was placing the cherry from the top of her drink onto her mouth.

She glanced at me and I could see a smirk behind her eyes as her lips slowly wrapped around the cherry.

Shit, I was a hypocrite. I just told Seth off for having sex on his mind too often. But this couldn't be helped. She was eating a fucking cherry! And she was doing it the way she was on purpose. She knew I was watching and I couldn't bring myself to look away.

She pulled the stalk out and smirked at me as she ate the cherry, looking up at me from behind her lashes.

I bet she could make any type of eating look sexy. She was stunning outside, and I had a feeling the outside reflected the inside that I wished so much to be shown. I wanted to know her.

The door opened behind her and she turned her head. It seemed she was always on the lookout. As she turned her head back, her mood seemed to have changed from fun and relaxed to scared and timid.

I looked up at the man who had walked in. He appeared to be in his late teens to early twenties. He had tanned skin and his black hair was messy. His presence seemed to intimidate Vanessa and I had an urge to go over and save her from him.

She slid to the other side of the chair as he seated himself beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder almost possessively. If she were mine, I would want to hold her too. But the way he did it...it was like he didn't trust her, as if her were forcing her to stay with him, to make it clear she was his. I didn't like it.

"Hello, my delicious pet." He purred to her. Now that I _really _didn't like.

He slid his finger under her chin, lifting her face to his and kissing her lips.

I looked away, fuming. Seth had noticed what was going on and he looked at me sympathetically.

"Why do you eat this crap?" The man laughed.

"I like to treat myself once in a while." Vanessa murmured.

"This isn't treating yourself." He said. "I have some delicious treats for you back at the club. That's treating yourself."

"Not today. I feel like this today." She said quietly.

The man then looked up at me and his eyes went fierce. I held his glare, reflecting much the same look on my own face. I felt like Western music should've started playing and we'd stand up, spinning our guns in our hands, then one of us'd pull our hats down as the other shuffled his boot on the ground preparing for a shoot off. I watched too much TV...

"We're leaving." He murmured

"What?" She said as he grabbed her arm, pulling her up, keeping eye contact with me. "No, I'm staying here."

His glare at me broke and he now glared at her. "Did you hear me? I said _we're leaving._" He hissed, and the way she gaped appeared as if he was holding her arm too tightly.

That was it. Who did this bastard think he was?

I stood up fast, catching Seth's attention. He didn't try to stop me, but he watched me warily.

I marched over to the guy and Vanessa, clearing my throat. "Excuse me, but I saw the way you just grabbed her and I don't think that kind of treatment to a woman is called for. Ever." I spoke straight out to him, keeping my glare.

He turned to me, glaring back daggers. "I don't think it's any of your business." He snarled.

I glanced at Vanessa who was looking back at me with wide brown eyes, shaking her head subtly as if to say _don't do this._

But I wasn't going to let him treat her like this!

"I don't care, you don't treat a woman like that." I hissed back, my fists curling at my sides to contain my anger from bursting into a full on phase.

He slowly let go of his grip from Vanessa's arm, giving her a look that made her look away and silently gulp, before turning back to me and walking closer. Vanessa didn't seem to move, she just stood there like she was his obedient puppy. The way he treated her sickened me. I _really_ wanted to save her now.

"I remember you, you came into my club the other night and went into a room with my girl, she said you scared her." I looked over at Vanessa who had her eyes glued to the ground, but I noticed her lips part a little. "She obviously doesn't want you, man, so I'd stop trying so hard if I were you. She's belongs to _me._" He hissed, which infuriated me to no end. He spoke about her as if she were his possession. She didn't belong to him, she belonged to no one, she was her own person. Everyone should have that right. I tried to keep my cool, but I could feel my hands shaking at my sides as I kept my glare with him. Even though he was about a foot shorter than me, the way he was staring at me was still intensely intimidating, he looked so twisted.

"No one belongs to anyone, _man_." I hissed back.

"She works for me, she belongs to me." He snarled. "Now I don't wanna see you, or your little friend here at my club or near my girl ever again."

My lips parted at his threat. How was I supposed to see Vanessa now unless I ran onto her on the street like I had just now, which was very unlikely in New York.

As if he wasn't already pissing me off enough, he gave me a little shove, pushing me over the cliff. I released the angry Jacob I had learnt to control, but I just couldn't around this bastard.

I swung my shaking hand up and collided it with his face. He stumbled back and held his face, seeming extremely shocked at the pain. I was about to go in for more but Seth grabbed me and, despite him being so much smaller than me, he was able to restrain me, leaving me nearly growling at the bastard I'd just clocked. "Jake, calm down!" Seth hissed as I glared after the guy, people in the diner staring and a waitress standing near the phone, ready to call the police if it became too out of hand.

It looked as though he was about to retaliate as he moved his hand from his face which looked surprisingly clean and unharmed from the amount of force I'd put into my punch, before Vanessa stood in front of him, holding her hands out. "We'll leave, we'll leave!" She seemed to be almost begging him as she touched his chest, causing him to stop in his tracks and look down at her.

He glanced up at me one last time, his green eyes bulging anger nearly out of their sockets. I pushed against Seth's strength one last time, giving up as I was still held back.

The guy slung his arm around Vanessa possessively again, practically dragging her out of the diner. I stared sadly after her, catching a glimpse of her brown eyes looking back at me, leaving me confused again, but longing after her still. I needed to save her, but did she even want saving? It didn't matter, that guy treated her like shit! I was saving her. Somehow...

My heart sunk as she disappeared from my sight, reminding me that this could be the last time I'd ever see her again. I couldn't let that happen. I _had_ to see her again. I just had to.

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><p><strong>So, yep. <strong>_**Him **_** is Nahuel! Who guessed right? Hehehe. I apologise this chapter still hasn't exactly moved anywhere, but I have these little...sections of future chapter ideas I just type up sometimes and I assure you Ness and Jake will get their time. This chapter just proved how possessive Nahuel is and how stuck Ness is. Jake will come to the rescue! I have many cute and sexy plans ahead for them, just you wait! ;)**

**-Tay**


	5. Safe and Sound

**Oh god. I'm so so so so sorry I haven't updated this one in forever. I'm in my last year of school, you see, and things get so busy and tiring and yuck. So there was a question last time as to how Jake doesn't detect they're vampires and, basically, my interpretation was that hybrids smell different to vampires otherwise that would be a bit hard for Jacob to imprint on someone he can't stand the smell of. And just to be clear, it has only been _10_ years. Not 21. Renesmee reaches full growth, maturity etc at 5 or 6. Anyway, without further adu, here is the next chapter!**

**-Tay**

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><p><strong>Nessie's POV<strong>

Shit. Why was it up so high? I could easily bounce up, latch on to the shelf, grab it and land perfectly on two feet but that would raise suspicion from the young shop assistant just a little down from me, the man turning the corner just now, the little boy zooming his toy car along the aisle and his mother telling him to stop while she selected cupcake mixtures.

I raised myself up on my tiptoes, stretching my fingers out as fair as they could go. Still no use. Dad had never been that tall. Just average. And Mom had been just under average, which was where I got the short genes from.

I felt a warm presence near me and a long, muscular tanned arm stretched above me, grabbing the box for me. I knew who it was instantly by his scent, turning around to face him as he brought the cookies down to my level, smirking a cocky grin at his success. Jacob.

"Oreos?" He asked, handing them to me.

"They're my favourite." I explained as I grabbed them, placing them in my basket. His stare was much less timid today.

"Thanks." I smiled, placing them into my basket. _Can't stay and chat, can't get too close._

"How'd you get to be so tall anyway?" I disobeyed myself and asked him, entering into some kind of conversation.

"I'm a werewolf." He replied, grabbing a packet of chips, inspecting the label and throwing them in his basket.

"Ah, I see." I played along. He was obviously joking, he wouldn't know they were real. I mean, I knew werewolves were real but he couldn't be one. Though, I didn't really know what they were meant to look like. I knew they weren't supposed to be heart eating, freaky looking man wolves all the time, but Jacob couldn't be one. He was too...light to be part of this world. I could tell he hadn't always had it easy but he seemed to bring light and warmth into places he went.

"I thought you said you didn't date." He said as we walked side by side along the shopping aisle together.

"I don't." I replied, worried where he was headed.

"Oh, but you're dating your boss?" He murmured, giving me a curious glance.

I stopped, sighing.

"It's more complicated than that. Want to pry anymore?" I hissed at him, more venomous than I'd intended to, and although hurting others had never seemed to phase me, or I'd had to let it not anyway, a pang of guilt stung at me for speaking to Jacob like I just had.

"Sorry. I just want to get to know you. We can be friends?" He shrugged, the look in his eyes hopeful.

I didn't reply, looking away.

"What about you? I thought you said you were getting married, what, a week ago? Where's your ring?" I decided to go with that instead.

"We didn't work out."

"Why?"

He didn't reply.

"You're not stalking me are you, Jacob?" I raised my eyebrow at him, giving him a playful smirk.

He looked at me, amused. "No, do you have that much of a big head?"

"I'm not egocentric, you just seem to have an…unusual interest in me and keep popping up in the same places as me so…" I trailed off, shrugging and biting my lip.

"You're an interesting girl." He murmured as we stopped by the liquor fridge. "And New York is a big city, but people seem to be able to run into one another a lot here as well." He added.

"You don't know me, Jacob. You don't know if I'm interesting."

"I do. You're funny."

"Funny?"

"Odd in a good way."

"You're funny too."

"In a good way?"

I gave him a small smile, backing towards the counter. "I'll let you figure that out for yourself."

Turning around and heading towards the front of the store I suddenly heard my name called again. "Vanessa?" I liked the way it came out of his mouth, it wasn't commanding or spiteful or vicious. It just was.

"Just Ness." I corrected him as I turned back around to see what he wanted. I hadn't meant to correct him either, I usually let people call me Vanessa and nothing else, that was who I was now, but it had just kind of happened. Maybe I didn't want him referring to me as the evil I had become. The thought of him finding out about what I really was scared me, and I barely even knew the guy yet.

"Do you want to…I don't know…hang out?" He asked, sliding a hand through his messy raven hair.

"What…now?" I laughed. It was my night off, but Nahuel didn't like not knowing where I was. I told him I'd be back in an hour…

The feeling of having become so weak, so under that bastards control angered me, and that emptiness that came with how powerless I was and how painful everything was smacked against my chest like a wave in stormy waters. This happened a lot, it was just one of those feelings I had to let pass, but this time I found myself not wanting to go back. Not that I ever did, but this time someone had given me an option, a choice, maybe even a chance, a chance to escape him. Such a small suggestion from Jacob had given me the biggest ounce of hope. "Actually, you know what, yeah why not?"

He glanced up at me, his brown eyes locking with mine, and I could see the joy inside them at my accepting of his invitation. It was kind of adorable, he reminded me of a puppy when he did that face. "Really?"

"Yes, Jacob, really. So long as there's alcohol." I grinned and somewhere inside I felt the grin, that hadn't happened in a long time. I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, and then another. "It's my night off, I'm allowed." I defended.

He held up his hands in surrender, chuckling. "Hey, I'm not complaining."

"Come on, then, let's go."

After we left the store, Jacob insisted we had to get Chinese food and that he knew the best takeout place. So this is what it was like? Being normal. Not being always on the run or under someone's command? Over the years, before Nahuel had snapped, there were times where we could relax, sit at a diner for an hour, take a stroll on the beach, but we couldn't stay in one place too long, The Volturi always seemed to have a way of catching up to us. It was only so long before they might find us in New York.

As we walked up onto the rooftop of Jacob's building, he glanced at me, asking if I was cold. It was getting late, the sky was in it's twilight and although I didn't feel it, I could tell the wind was picking up a slightly chilly breeze.

"No, I don't really get cold." I told him, sitting down on a crate near the edge of the building where I could look over the railing out into the city.

"Me neither." He commented, sitting down next to me. I could feel the heat radiating from his skin to mine as our shoulders brushed. It sent a strange sensation through me that I'd never felt before despite having been close to many people, but I liked it.

I looked out over the city for a moment, letting myself take it in. The way the lights began to flicker across the skyline, the cars darting around on the streets below, how the people looked like ants and the sound of it all travelled up to us but never seemed to touch us. Like up here we were safe from all the madness and the hustle and bustle of the city and it's streets and alleyways and people and places. I let out a sigh, surprising myself that it wasn't a sigh of exhaustion or disappointment, but of relief.

I glanced to the side at Jacob who was holding a glass of wine for me. "Thanks." I murmured, taking it and making sure to take a tiny sip even though I felt like sculling the whole thing right there and then. I was quite a lightweight, despite being a supernatural being, and I didn't really want to forget this moment, not yet.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Jacob asked, pouring himself some.

"Yeah, okay."

"Wanna play 20 questions?"

I gulped down the wine I'd just taken a sip of, laughing. "Does that mean you're down to 19 because you already wasted one asking me if I wanted to play?"

"No!" He laughed, shaking his head. "It doesn't work that way."

I cleared my throat. I know it was just a stupid game, but it took me a minute to consider whether I wanted to play or not. What if he asked me something I could literally not bring myself to answer. But for some strange reason I trusted him. "Okay. You go first."

"Favourite colour?"

"Blue." It had been the colour of a lot of my mother's possessions, and my Dad loved the colour, especially on Mom.

"Okay. Your go."

"What do you do, like what's your job?" I didn't even know what he did yet and he knew I danced around in my underwear for men.

"I'm a mechanic." He responded.

"Oh, that's really cool. You like fixing things?" I asked. I was actually curious, everything about him intrigued me, I wished I could just ask all the questions and he could tell me about himself.

"Yeah, I love it."

"You good at it?"I asked, placing my wine down and moving my chopsticks about in the box of noodles.

"I hope so." He shrugged. "Hey, that was 3 questions!" He laughed.

"Fine, you get another 2 this round." I smirked.

"Okay, which era would you have most like to have lived in?"

"Oh, um, the 60s! I would have been a total flowerchild." I laughed.

"Really?"

I nodded and he laughed in return.

"Favourite fairytale?"

"Beauty & The Beast." Even when I'd outgrown children's books, which had been when I was about 1, it had still been one of my favourites. There was something so beautiful about it.

My turn was next and I found myself asking, without even thinking about the consequence of him possibly asking the same back: "What's your last name?"

"Black. Jacob Black….yours?"

Suddenly I felt my chest tighten, and squeeze until I could feel barely any air in my lungs, they felt so small. The simple thought of even uttering 'Cullen' chilled me to the bone, even thinking it opened up a huge, dark stormy cloud in my chest that rumbled and cracked with lightening and thunder. Part of me thought that perhaps The Volturi would find me then, that the simple mention of the name would set off an alarm somewhere and they would take me away like they had my family. And although I wanted to find my family, a part of me didn't for fear there would be nothing left to find. Although I was living in a terrible, scary mess right now, it was less terrifying than the thoughts of my past were. My past led me to this. And I didn't even deserve to call myself a Cullen! I could imagine my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all looking at me with disgust. How could I be so weak, so evil! I had let the monster inside of me take over and that had always been something my family had told me not to.

"Vanessa. It's just Vanessa." I replied, almost as cold as the wind blowing through the now black sky. I grabbed my wine glass, chugging what was left of it down to try and cloud the thoughts howling in the depths of my brain. There was a silence that set between us then, as I stared in front of me, forcing the tears back down before they even had a chance to fall. I wanted to tell Jacob, I did, I wanted to tell someone, anyone. The weight of everything on my shoulders was too much to bear sometimes. But that was no one else's problem, that was mine. I didn't want to drag anyone into my crap, especially Jacob.

But no matter how much I felt like running just then, to stop myself from confusing Jacob any more, to stop from hurting him in the long run if we kept this strange friendship we'd started up, I couldn't. I didn't want to be alone just then, and I couldn't bear to go back to Nahuel. Not like this.

I sighed, pouring myself more wine and taking another generous gulp.

"Sorry." I murmured, glancing at him.

It was strange that I was letting someone see such a vulnerable side of myself. I was a predator, I should never appear weak, I shouldn't even feel weak, and even though I do, I should leave this vulnerability for my own comfort

"It's alright. It's fine." He replied, his voice so soft and soothing I could feel the hole inside me closing over for a little while. And then I felt a warmth cover my hand that was leaning on the crate beside me. I glanced down to see Jacob's large hand covering my own.

The sensation, the thought, everything made my already fluttering heart flutter just that little more and for once in my life I didn't feel dirty, or wicked or a monstrosity. I felt…I felt human. I felt innocent, and perhaps happy was a leap, but I felt something. I smiled softly at him, moving my hand so I could wrap it in and entangle my fingers in his. "Thank you." I whispered and he squeezed my hand in return. He understood, without really understanding why. He was willing to, which is what mattered to me. It made me want to cry tears of joy, or dance around the rooftop, but I simply looked into the warm depths of his brown eyes and something inside them lulled me to relax again just that little bit. The bit that I'd lost when I'd freaked out before.

I didn't remember much else from that point onwards, the wine was starting to cloud my thoughts as we went back to mindless chatter, Jacob tried to explain to me how to fix a motor, we shared our favourite restaurants and hot spots in town, and even though it was light, small talk, it felt nice. I loved hearing Jacob talk, I loved how he listened to me, how he made me laugh, and what seemed like casual conversation actually felt a lot deeper to me, it was the start of something.

As my speech became more slurred and my head fuzzier, I didn't worry about where I would end up in the morning, because I didn't feel there was need to. I felt safe with Jacob. Yes, the girl who had been running for her whole life, trusting no one, not even the people she was running with, had begun to trust this perfect stranger. But for some reason he didn't feel like a one.

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><p><strong>Jacobs POV<strong>

I don't think Vanessa, or Ness, knew quite how happy she'd made me when she said she'd hang out with me. Not only was I overjoyed because it would be her I was hanging out with, but New York was such a big city, it was easy to get lonely in, even if I had Seth and Leah with me. The short conversation we'd had prior to me asking her came so easily, it just flowed. Not that I was a typically nervous guy, I could small talk with strangers, but there was always that slight discomfort you felt talking to someone new, wondering if you should hold back, but with her it felt like there was no holding back. I actually felt like Jacob again. 10 years of feeling lost and confused and lonely, and here was this one girl who had spun things right into perspective for me. It wasn't simply the fact she was my imprint. No, there was so much more to her than that. She was beautiful, she was strong, and you could tell she'd been through so much but she was still fighting on, the light that was threatening to be snuffed out inside her because of her situation was still flickering, I couldn't help but admire her.

As we sat on the rooftop that I came up to quite a lot, to look out over the city and clear my head, I felt kind of at home. Usually when I went up there I couldn't help but miss home a little, the hustle and bustle of the city sometimes got too much for a small-town guy like me, but Ness made it feel alright. Not only did conversation come easier with her, but laughter did too. It wasn't as if I hadn't laughed in 10 years, I was a naturally easily amused guy, but the laughter with her felt more genuine than it had in a long time.

But all too quickly the lightness in the air dropped when I asked her what her last name was. I watched her large brown eyes flicker to the side and as she stared into space it appeared she was having an internal battle with herself, like the simple thought of her last name tore her apart, and in that moment I realised her past must have been much deeper and darker than I ever could have imagined.

"Vanessa. It's just Vanessa." She murmured.

Despite how curious she made me, that was okay. I could handle just knowing her as Vanessa for now. I knew the feeling of not wanting to talk about your past, about who you were when your sense of identity was so screwed up you wondered if who you were before was even the real you or if it was all a dream.

She apologised to me, pouring herself another glass of wine, and I wondered how well she could handle her liquor, although she looked like she could use another drink.

"It's alright. It's fine." I replied, placing my hand on her own. She ended up entwining her fingers with mine and the sensation of it made me feel like a little schoolboy, when just holding hands was enough to send tingles through me.

I wished I knew a way I could take all the pain away and fix everything. But she wasn't like a car, her problems ran much deeper than just an oil change or a broken motor.

I suddenly had a sense of de-ja vu and Bella's voice murmured into my head. _I'm not like a car you can just fix up, I'm never gonna run right._

It was strange, but Ness actually reminded me a lot of Bella. It wasn't just the fact she had huge chocolate brown eyes and porcelain skin, there was something else but I couldn't put my finger on it. Strange. I suddenly wondered if maybe the reason I'd fallen for Bella was because she was similar to my imprint, but she wasn't close enough to have been my imprint.

Despite all this, there was definitely something different about Ness. Strip away all the imprinting and I could feel a stronger infatuation to her than I ever had with Bella.

An hour or so later and Vanessa had pretty much downed a bottle and a quarter by herself. I'd tried to take it away from her at some point but she resisted too much and the disappointment on her face at the alcohol having been taken away from her made me feel bad. She obviously needed it tonight, I would take care of her.

I actually couldn't get drunk, no matter how much I consumed. My messed up body temperature and regeneration burnt off the alcohol before it had time to really get into my system.

I glanced down at Ness, watching her as she peered out into the city, deep in thought. Suddenly, she murmured. "I don't get it when people say 'life's too short'. It's not, it's too damn long, it's an endless cycle of pain and heartbreak. It goes forever."

In a way, she was right. Although life was relatively short, it felt like it went forever sometimes. In some cases, it did. If I chose to keep phasing, I could live forever. "I think when you find someone or something you would want to spend the rest of your life with, then it doesn't seem that bad." I replied.

"Mmm…" She sighed, finishing off what was left in her glass before standing up off the crate.

I watched her warily as she stumbled a little in her step. She wandered over to the railing of the rooftop and I stood up instantly, hurrying over to her in case she tried anything stupid. My heart pounded a little faster in worry as she lingered near the railing.

"Nothing would take it away, not even falling off this roof." She called over to me.

I walked over to where she was, placing an arm around her waist to hold her in place.

"I'm invincible!" She squealed, throwing her arms up and leaning back towards the railing, but I held her tightly with both arms wrapped around her waist.

"Ness-" I began, but she leant forward again, placing a finger to my lips.

"Being invincible sucks. Do you know how much it sucks?" She pouted.

I had no idea what she was on about, but I didn't think much of it, she was drunk, after all. Very drunk.

"I'm sure it sucks a lot. Come on, I think it's time we get you inside." I begged her, pulling her back from the railing a bit. She stumbled into my chest, giggling.

"Oh, I'm sure you want to get me inside." She purred, tugging at my shirt and pulling my head down towards her a little.

No matter how damn attractive she was, or how much I wanted her, I didn't want her like this. I wouldn't use her like that when she wasn't thinking clearly enough to make proper decisions.

I turned my head away and picked up the two wine glasses and the half full bottle. I'd clean up the rest in the morning.

As we descended down the staircase with her leaning on my left hand side, she suddenly stumbled again, squealing. I sighed, laughing a little and handed the bottle to her. "Here, hold this."

"More for me?" She grinned.

"No, just hold it so I can carry you."

I lifted her up and she giggled a little loudly.

"Shhh, shhh." I laughed. I carried her down the stairs and into the apartment.

"Such a gentleman." She smiled drowsily at me, her fingers trailing down the skin at my chest not covered by my shirt, sneaking down into my shirt slowly. I bit my lip to distract myself from how good and sweet it felt. I placed the glasses down on the counter as well as the bottle she was holding and then I placed her down on the couch. She played with my shirt, her tired and hazy, yet wide eyes pooling with lust, nearly sucking me into the depths of their beauty. But I painfully tore my gaze away and pried her fingers from my shirt.

"Come on." She purred seductively, her eyes taking on an almost catlike form. "Isn't this why you took me out tonight, isn't this what all men want?" She began to unbutton her blouse.

"N..No. Ness, you don't need to do that with me." I kept my eyes on her face, holding her hand to stop her.

She laughed a little, biting her lip. "That's right. You're not like most men, are you?" She ran her hand down to my crotch, feeling how hard I was getting as she purred and touched me. "But you still want me."

"You really don't drink much, do you?" I laughed nervously.

"Sure I do, I'll drink you all up." She purred, biting at my neck and rubbing at my crotch. Oh god...

I tried not to think of her touch on me, turning me on to no end and rather about the fact she was drunk and I cared about her and didn't want to take advantage of her. It seemed to work enough to help me pry her hand away again and stand up off the couch.

"I'll get you a blanket." I murmured, walking to the hallway.

When I returned her eyes were closed and she was rolled over on her side, her head resting on a pillow. She looked so peaceful, unguarded, I wished she could feel that way more often than just when she slept.

I gently placed the blanket over her and as I did she rolled back onto her back, looking up at me through half closed eyes, a look of confusion on her features. "How come you don't wanna fuck me?" She murmured, her brown eyes searching mine for an answer. But she wouldn't find one because I did want her, just not like this, not with her thinking that it was all I wanted, not with her drunk and probably not even wanting me back anyway, and I didn't want to rush things.

"Not tonight." I whispered, stroking her cheek gently.

"So you do want to fuck me?" She asked again, seeming a little more alert.

I laughed, leaning over and kissing her forehead, not answering her but instead telling her to get some rest before pulling myself away from her and heading towards my room.

Before I reached my door, I heard a soft, quiet, almost half-asleep. "Goodnight, Jacob."

I smiled before replying. "Goodnight, Ness."

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><p><strong>So yeeeess. What do you think? Any questions, just feel free to ask, and feedback would be much appreciated. I love you all, thank you for standing by and waiting for me all this time if you have. I hope I don't keep you waiting as long next time :(<strong>


	6. Cinderella

**HEY GUYS! Yes, that's right, I am alive! I'm also now a graduated girl and have more freedom now school is over. I'm so sorry for the lengthy wait, but for those of you who stuck by me and waited, thank you, and those of you who are new, welcome! Sooo, in this chapter I wanted to explore the Nahuel/Nessie dynamic a bit more. I promise I'll get around to Jake and Nessie soon, there's even a little scene in this one (my stupid hard drive crashed so all my ideas that I'd written down are gone but I luckily I have good memory). Also, I imagine Nina Dobrev as my Nessie for those who'd like a bit more of a visual idea ;)**

**Also a big thanks to FadingEmotion who made a lovely banner for my story! :) You can view it here: . **

**Without further adu, Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>4 Years Ago<strong>

_Run. Run. Don't look back. Run._

_I tried to move as fast as I could, aware of how close our pursuer was, aware of Nahuel and Huilen close behind me. I thanked my father for my agility, but that didn't stop the fact we were all still in danger of facing the crushing hands of a thousand year old vampire at any given moment. The only thing keeping me going was my mother's voice in my head. The last words I heard from her that fateful day. "I love you, babygirl. I'll always love you, no matter what. Don't let them take you, keep running."_

_I picked up my pace a slight bit, only stopping when I heard a familiar voice screeching followed by the all too familiar sound of crushing stone. I froze, a terrible feeling creeping up my neck the louder the crushing and the screaming became, not wanting to look back, but needing to so I knew I hadn't finally lost it and wasn't hallucinating._

_"NO!" I cried as I finally turned around only to witness Huilen, the closest thing I've had to a mother these past 6 years, turning to dust underneath the hands of the ancient vampire._

_I couldn't move, I can only watch with tears burning in my eyes and grief and hatred fuelling my veins as the vampire set her on fire, banishing her from our lives for good. The only thing that reminded me to move was Nahuel's booming voice as he gripped my shoulders, shaking me. "MOVE!"_

_Eventually, somehow, we lost our hunter and found ourselves in a small campers cabin in the middle of some woods. I was curled up against the wall, watching Nahuel search the place for food or resources. He hadn't cried yet. Not that I'd noticed anyway. He seemed like he couldn't stop moving, distracting himself from facing the reality of what happened to his Aunt._

_"I'm sorry, Nah..." I eventually choked._

_He looked over at me his burning, watery eyes flickering between something I couldn't read. He shook his head, looking away._

_"It's all my fault, really." He murmured._

_My eyes widened at his comment. "How could you think that?! You've done nothing-"_

_"I made her immortal, Ness!" he yelled over at me, walking closer. "I changed her, brought her into this life, were it not for me she would have lived a long and happy life, and then died a peaceful death. How it should be. I ruin everything I love, and now I'm alone because of it!"_

_His words hit me like an arrow, guilt swirling around my stomach because this really was all my fault. If they weren't protecting me they could have continued on living how they had._

_I realised he's finally begun to cry. "It's all my fault. Everything's my fault." He blubbered. I raced over to him, holding his face between my hands, shaking my head._

_"Hey, hey, stop this, Nahuel! You have to stop blaming yourself! You are a good person, there are so many opportunities you must have had in your life to give in to the darkness inside, the darkness we all have being who we are, but you haven't! And you are not alone. You have me."_

_He stared into my eyes for what seemed like a long time at that statement, and in that time I tried to read him, to understand what he was going through, I could relate, I'd lost people, but his wound was fresh and he'd been with Huilen his whole life, he didn't know any different._

_Suddenly his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, resting my head against his chest as he leaned his head into my shoulder._

_Suddenly he began to shake, and it took me a moment to realise the shudders running through his body were intense cries and sobs. Even just the sound of them caused tears to spring to my eyes, but I bit my lip to keep my own sobs in, to let Nahuel grieve. But I wished I knew how to help him, to take all the pain away, but that was impossible, family was irreplaceable._

_"She was the only living piece of my mother I had left." He choked. I thought of the small collection of things of my family I had left. They were only small trinkets, but if I lost them I think I'd lose myself. And Huilen was a whole person, with a heart and love for her nephew._

_As he brought his face back to look at me again my lips parted a little at the overwhelming pain the pain in his eyes brought me. In that moment I wished my gift was to take memories rather than give them, so I could take this all away. I knew you should always take your memories with you, but in that moment Nahuel's pain was so intense I swore it burned right through me._

_Then all too soon his eyes glazed over with something that shook me to the very bone because it wasn't anything. There was nothing there. It was as it someone had placed a glass window in front of his very soul._

_"Nah, what-"_

_Then suddenly he was kissing me. I gasped and stumbled back at the feeling because I'd never, in my 6 years, experienced something like it. And although the tingles his lips sent through me at the connection to mine were amazing, they felt wrong at the same time. Like now was not the right time to be sharing a moment like this because Nahuel was in the wrong headspace. Or maybe it just felt weird because I'd never done it before. I couldn't tell._

_He broke the kiss and I gasped out "No, you're not thinking clearly."_

_"I'm thinking clearer than ever." he growled against my neck, sending shudders through me that I couldn't tell if they were good or bad. "I know who I am now, Ness!" he exclaimed, a large grin appearing on his features as he leant down and kissed me again, backing me against the wall. "Everything is so clear, Ness. I finally feel immortal. Trust me, I wish you could see this with me too! Let me show you..." he whispered, his thumb running down my bottom lip. "Let me give you a taste. I know there's something in you that wants it, I can see it now."_

_I could feel it too. Something in me craved the darkness, to turn everything off, to put up walls like I'd seen him do too suddenly, in a split second. I wished it was that easy for me._

_He took my silence as a yes and kissed me again, his hand sliding around my thigh and hitching it around his waist, which, as he pressed his jean covered waist into my crotch, felt kind of incredible._

_His hand slid down my leg further until it cupped my inner thigh, his thumb gently rubbing over the cotton covering my crotch. These sensation made me tense up, to which Nahuel stopped kissing my neck and stroked my hair with his hands. As he looked into my eyes, I saw a crack in his glass covered eyes and saw the him I'd know earlier this afternoon shine through. My best friend, my only friend, and I trusted him again enough to relax._

_"So physically untouched, pure.." he whispered, seeming to like this fact about me. "But inside you know it's there."_

_"What is?"_

_"The desire, cravings, bloodlust. You're part monster, Renesmee."_

_I suddenly pushed him off me, feeling dirty. Everything about that had been wrong. I fixed my straps and straightened out my dress."Don't talk about us like that. Don't talk about our families like that." I hissed._

_"What family?!" He spat. "They're all gone, Ness, all of them!"_

_"Don't say that! There could be hope! You don't know they died!"_

_"What would give your family the right to have their lives spared over Huilen?!"_

_I gaped, because I didn't know the answer. We just stared at each other for a moment, tears pouring down both of our faces. I think that was the moment we realised that we only really had each other._

* * *

><p><strong>Now<strong>_  
><em>

**NPOV**

I'd woken up on Jacob's couch, feeling, if not slightly hungover, refreshed. It had been early and everyone was asleep, the sun only beginning to creep its early morning orange light into the room.

I wanted to stay, to have breakfast and coffee with Jacob, maybe even hang out some more, be normal. But last night had been my Cinderella night and I'd had to go back to my dusty cellar. Monsters don't belong with normal.

As soon as I entered the empty club, I heard Nahuel's angry roar from upstairs before he raced downstairs and had me pinned against the bar. "Good morning to you too." I muttered.

"Where the fuck have you been?" He snarled.

Nahuel, as scary and angry and dangerous as he could be, to me he wasn't. Because at the end of the day I knew he would never hurt me. We were all the other had left. I was only scared of him when it came to Jacob now, he'd been more possessive than usual on the night Jacob and I had met, so for that reason he couldn't find out where I'd been.

"I ate out. A kinky couple invited me for a threesome and, well, when I was done with dinner I kind of crashed." I lied, convincingly I hoped.

"You smell like him."

"You're being paranoid, Nah." I sighed.

"Don't lie to me, Renesmee. Secrets lead to shit. What if that couple were working with The Volturi, hmm? You can't afford to be vulnerable! Or what if you got caught and I had no way of knowing?! We stick together, you hear me?!" He roared, his eyes scorching into mine.

I gulped and nodded. Although Nahuel had gone batshit crazy these past few years, flicked some sort of humanity switch or something, there were moments when he reminded me of the old Nahuel. Who would do anything for someone he cared about.

I knew he was only trying to protect me, but sometimes I wished he wasn't so possessive about it. Sometimes I wished for freedom, to live. I knew that wasn't a very large possibility considering our circumstance, but sometimes I just wanted a taste. Jacob was that taste, a very amazing taste, and I wanted more and more. I just didn't know how to get that without betraying Nahuel's trust and possibly set off the ticking time bomb that he was and having him explode in front of Jacob.

"I'm sorry." I murmured, slightly shaken from Nahuel's intense rage.

He kissed me, cupping my face in his hands. "You still care, Ness, that's the thing. If you didn't care you'd be less vulnerable, more capable of protecting yourself. You don't realise it but you're a wide open book, baby. Your pages are lying there waiting for anyone to damage them. I don't want to let that happen."

We'd had this conversation a million times before but he'd never worded it quite like that. "You want me to not care anymore?"

"No."

"Then what do you wa-" I began but he'd shut me up by kissing me. I gave in, going along with it. I didn't know what he wanted from me, I don't even think Nahuel knew himself. He wanted me to adjust to the lifestyle he lived, but still care, still be myself. Or not care? So as to not be vulnerable? Or be vulnerable so he could protect me? I wasn't sure. Either way I knew I was becoming vulnerable to someone and that someone was Jacob, but I didn't really care. I liked it.

Before I could think any more my body was responding to Nahuel's touch as he bit and sucked my neck and breasts, his hands sliding between my thighs as he slid himself between them more.

I wondered what Jacob's touch would feel like, if it would be rough or loving, or a mixture. I wondered what he sounded like when he came, and my body was already tingling and squirming with the combination of Nahuel's touch and my thoughts of Jacob.

As Nahuel slid inside me I wondered how Jacob would feel and I released a small moan at the thought, throwing my head back against the bar as Nahuel began to thrust inside of me, biting down my squirming, trembling body.

For the first time in a while I felt my hips rock and shudder with the anticipation of an orgasm and I cried out, squeezing my legs against Nahuel, trying to ride it out.

After we both came and were a mess of warm, naked bodies sprawled on the bar, Nahuel murmured against my throat.

_"Sólo te quiero. Siempre."_

* * *

><p><strong>JPOV<strong>

Disappointedly, I'd woken up to no Vanessa. I hadn't expected her to stay, I guess, but after what we'd shared last night I felt that maybe, just maybe she might've wanted to hang out more. But that was the mystery of her, I still didn't really know what she wanted.

"She'll be back." Seth assured me with a mouthful of cereal as I fixed up the couch she'd slept on, wanting to curl up and inhale her smell if it weren't for my roomates being in the same room.

Leah flicked her brother on the ear as she walked past the table, sipping her coffee. "Don't give him false hope. Maybe she got scared, Jake. I mean, you guys have known each other, what, a few days? Dunno if it's time to be having sleepovers yet."

I threw one of the cushions down and stomped off into the kitchen. I knew they were only trying to help, but I didn't need Seth and Leah telling me what they thought Vanessa would do. They didn't know her. But neither did I.

I left it a week, but every waking moment, even sometimes in my dreams, it bugged me. I needed to know her. I needed her in my life. I'd barely been able to concentrate at work this week because of it. On Wednesday I'd nearly gotten crushed under a car because I hadn't hinged it right. Not that I would've gotten crushed, but still.

On Friday night I'd had enough. I knew that prick had banned me off it, but I wasn't going to let him stop me from seeing her.

Storming into the club, I searched the dance tables for her, trying to focus on her pull. Before I knew it I felt a hand grip me from the back of my leather jacket, dragging me out the back. I felt myself being practically thrown out the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She cried, her voice still sweet and velvety when she seemed angry. Her hair fell loosely around her bare, porcelain shoulders and she was wearing a dark corset with black stockings and heels.

"I-I came to see you?" I stuttered out, a little stunned by her reaction. I didn't think I'd done anything to piss her off the other night. But she was unpredictable. Unreadable.

She ran a hand through her reddish brown hair, looking back at the building which had booming musing and buzzing voices floating from the slightly open door. She looked as though she were stressed, anxious about something.

"No, please go." She murmured, looking to the side as she rubbed her arms as though she were cold. She told me she never got cold.

"Why?"

"Because I said so!" She cried, and as her wide brown eyes looked into mine I saw fear. She was scared of him. That was it, wasn't it? I wanted to kill the bastard for making her feel that way.

"No, I'm not gonna let him scare me, Vanessa. I can take him." I wanted so badly right then to scoop her up and take her back home with me.

"Why me, Jake? Why do you want to prove yourself so badly to me? You don't even know me!" She cried, her voice raised to talk over the music.

"That's the thing. I don't know you, but I want to."

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!"

I walked a little closer to her and she glanced up at me, uncertainty and apprehension in her eyes. "Please, just give me a chance. Tomorrow, central, you name the time, I'll be there."

There was a small silence between us and I felt as though in that moment I was going to lose her, that she was going to walk back into the club and ignore me forever. But right before she left she murmured "4 o'clock."

Then Cinderella stepped back inside the pumpkin coach.

* * *

><p>So, what did you think? I'll update sooner this time I promise because I'm free from exams and school and what not! :)<p>

**Sólo te quiero. Siempre= I just want you. Always.**


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